Unit 4 Space Exploration
Period 2 Reading and Thinking
教材分析
本文为一篇科普文。文章按照时间顺序简要介绍了人类探索太空的历史。文章不仅列举一些著名的历史性事件,还对科学家和宇航员们不畏困难、刻苦钻研、勇担重任、无私奉献的精神表达出赞美之情。该板块以“了解太空探索的发展历程” (Learn about the development of space exploration)为活动主题,要求学生通过阅读该文本,了解人类为探索浩瀚的宇宙所付出的努力;另一方面帮助学生了解我国在太空探索领域所取得的辉煌成就以及对人类太空探索事业的贡献,从而坚定文化自信,增强爱国情怀和民族自豪感。
教学目标
在本课学习结束时,学生能够:
1. 阅读关于太空探索历史的科普文,观察和分析文章的组织结构。
2. 能够把握段落和句子之间的衔接和连贯关系。
3. 启发学生解读作者的态度以及写作意图。
教学重难点
【教学重点】
1. 帮助学生梳理人类太空探索的历史。
2. 引导学生把握语篇的逻辑层次。
【教学难点】
启发学生解读作者的态度以及写作意图。
教学过程
Step 1 Warming-up
Do you still remember these famous people
设计意图:复习上节课提到的宇航员,引出本板块话题。
Step 2 Pre-reading
Work on Activity 1. Before you read, look at the title and the photos. Discuss these questions in pairs.
(1) What do you think are the main reasons for space exploration
(2) What do you expect to read about in this text
设计意图:引导学生关注文本体裁。
Step 3 While-reading
1. Work on Activity 2. Read the text. Several sentences have been removed from it. Choose the correct sentence (A-D) to fill each gap.
A Although scientists try to make sure nothing goes wrong, accidents can still happen.
B They also really wish to discover other planets that are suitable enough to support life.
C The future of space exploration remains bright.
D After many experiments, they succeeded in making rockets that could escape Earth’s gravity.
设计意图:培养学生对语篇结构和上下文逻辑关系的观察、分析和判断能力。
2. Read the strategy of reading.
3. Read the text and discuss the questions below in your groups.
(1) What is the topic sentence in Paragraph 1 Can you use your own words to summarise the main idea
(2) Is there a topic sentence in Paragraph 2 If not, what are the important points included in this paragraph
(3) What is Paragraph 3 about Can you find some words that repeat themselves
(4) Can you find the topic sentence in Paragraph 4 Where is it
(5) What is the topic sentence in Paragraph 5
4. Work on Activity 3. Use your own words to summarise the main idea for each paragraph.
设计意图:引导学生掌握“找主题句”策略,并概括段落大意。
5. Work on Activity 4. Discuss the questions below in your groups.
(1) What does the title “Space: The Final Frontier” mean to you Why does the author use this title
(2) What is the author’s attitude towards space exploration How do you know
(3) Do you agree that space is the final frontier for humans to explore Why
设计意图:启发学生思考文章标题的内在涵义。
6. Think of the questions below about the features of popular science articles.
Did the author use technical terms to explain science Why
What is the author's purpose of writing this article
What writing techniques are used in this article
设计意图:引导学生分析科普文的特点以及具体的写作手法。
Step 4 Post-reading
1. Think of a word that best fits each definition and complete the crossword.
2. Work on Activity 5. Complete the passage with words from the text.
设计意图:熟悉新词汇在语境中的使用。
Step 5 Assignment
Search the Internet for news reports or video materials about the explosion of the US space shuttle Challenger in 1986. And write a short passage about this event.
设计意图:复习所学新知,并实现迁移创新。